More inspection documents have come to light showing food safety violations at the Boar’s Head production facility in Jarrett, Virginia. A 2024 outbreak of fatal listeria infections was traced to products from this plant.
The outbreak, which occurred from January to July 2024, infected 61 people in 19 states. 10 people died. As a result, Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of product and temporarily closed its Virginia plant. The company has permanently halted liverwurst production nationwide.
Previously released documents from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service showed numerous safety violations at the plant that amounted to violations of federal law. The plant has 219,182 square feet of work space and was built in 1974.
Additional documents show dozens of issues date back to at least 2019. Over the years, repeated cases of water pooling and dripping have been cited. Listeria bacteria are known to grow well in moist environments.
Despite the outbreak, FSIS said in a report dated Oct. 22, 2024, “there have been no documented consumer complaints about this facility over the past year.”
According to the same report, investigators documented the following issues:
- Product residue found on food contact surfaces and non-food contact surfaces during pre-operative testing (7/19/24, 7/6/24, 6/28/24, 5/20/24, 4/19/24, 3/22/24, 3/14/24, 2/29/24, 2/3/24)
- Product residue from previous shift found on food contact surfaces during SSOP operational inspection (6/7/24)
- Insects – Treatment cooler (24/7/17), receiving dock (24/7/17), dead fly on open vat of distilled vinegar (24/7/12), 2 live flies in vat in raw side entry area (24/6/28), green flies around denatured product in inedible room 1 (24/6/26), insect-like flies and gnats in pickles entering and exiting 4 vats of pickle solution. Barrel pump out room (6/10/24) including flies, ants and flying insects in inedible bins.
- (24/6/10) 7 ladybugs, 1 beetle-like, and 1 bug-like cockroach on the Cure main cooler door. (24/6/10)
- Unsanitary conditions – green algae growth in standing water in receiving dock (24/7/17), black mold on wall caulking in pickle storage annex area (24/7/12), trash and product debris on floor (24/6/26, 24/6/10, 24/3/15, 24/24, 2/11), dirty inedible strainer near clean strainer in Bologna kitchen. (24/6/28),
- Product residue on pickle bins in Stitch Pump #1 department (6/1/24), black mold on steel bins in Stitch Pump #1 department (6/1/24), stainless steel rods used to hang product placed in inedible containers or left on floor (3/15/24), odor from raw receiving cooler and cardboard combo heavily saturated with blood and leaking blood onto floor (2/22/24), smokehouse door and Product residue on door frame #27, 28, 29 (2/7/24)
- Leak – Water dripping from previously caulked ceiling area in smokehouse alley near Smokehouses #23-29 (7/6/24);
- Leakage of hot water pipes in non-food warehouse (6/10/24)
- Dripping Condensation – Leaving Wet Spots on Dextrose Bags (7/12/24), Packaging Department (7/9/24)
- Do not label inedible products, do not denature them, and do not store them in containers with inspection marks (24.4.24, 24.4.8, 24.2.21, 24.2.8)
- Employee Good Manufacturing Practice Issue – Contractor wearing dress outside and not washing hands upon re-entry (2/22/24)
Portions of all reports have been redacted.
The most recent food safety assessment was conducted in February 2019, according to the report published on October 24, 2022. Many of the problems found at the plant in 2022 and 2024 were listed then.
Unsanitary conditions in the 2022 inspection included holes in walls, damaged floors, loose caulking, products stuck to the floor, green mold and rust.
“Other than the noncompliances discussed above, the facility was following an appropriately supported written program and there were no additional food safety concerns,” the 2022 report said.
The 2022 report stated that while observing processing operations, violations of pre-operational and occupational hygiene programs were observed.
“Major deficiencies related to the physical conditions of the facility were observed that pose an imminent threat to the product,” the inspectors wrote.
Problems include rusty pipes and brackets throughout the plant, condensate dripping directly onto products, waste on production area floors, holes in walls and floors, exposed insulation, peeling paint and rust, numerous areas with product build-up and residue, and production equipment.
In a July 31, 2024, report, FSIS investigators wrote that employees were at risk of spreading the virus. Listeria Through a post-processing environment.
“Employees typically work on one line but may move between lines to assist when needed. Your facility does not have a written plan outlining staff practices and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when moving between lines,” the report said.
In a 23-page report covering the period from June 1, 2023, to July 29, 2024, FSIS inspectors repeatedly reported the same issues: There was residue from previous product on food contact shelves. Brown material fell into the product area and into the product container, resulting in only 8 pounds of product being marked for disposal. live and dead bugs; There is blood in a puddle on the floor.
